End Grain Chopping Board

[Sunny]

Hello everyone

First time to any forum so Im learning how the whole thing works.
I would like to make a end grain chopping board, think Ive got the making of the pieces sorted just would like to know about the glueing side of things, is glue (titebond Id thought I would use) enough to hold the whole thing together or do I need to do some sort of spline or biscuit thingy. (sorry if Ive used the wrong terminolgy). Also what would be a good thickness.
Thanks heaps Sunny the Newbe

[jow104]

Welcome to the wonderful world of forums.

I joined this forum 5 years ago, and found many friends here in Australia as well as other parts of the World.

In fact last year some members came to my aid after a serious accident and gave us the same sort of help made by that good samaritan.

Anyway if you go to the heading at the near top of this page you will see the word Search.
I type in Chopping board glue, and got this followingsupport from the forum.

http://www.woodworkforums.ubeaut.com...archid=1797041

click this link posted in blue.

No doubt in the daytime later some of the other forums members will come alive and post you more replies to your question.

[Wongo]

I use Titebond II (Titebond 2) only for my chopping boards. It is easy to use like Titebond 1 and it is waterproof. You do not need to use splines or biscuits.

I have made over 30 chopping boards in the past 4 years. The last 2 I made were end grain chopping boards. I reckon they are 3-4 times harder to make.

So tell us how are you going to cut the pieces.

Good luck.

[ciscokid]

I've made the end grain chopping board that was featured in a wood magazine last year. I used Titebond III and it performed flawlessly. The chopping board did not turn out like I had hoped, but I cannot fault the glue for that.

[Tex B]

Most end grain boards seem to be about 50mm thick. Too thin and they're likely to split along the grain.

Most people make them by first gluing up a panel of several boards to the width you want. Then crosscut the panel to the thickness you want, say 50mm. Turn the 'slices' sideways so the end grain is up, and glue them. That way, you're not trying to glue a couple dozen little pieces, and squaring the top is easier.

Clear as mud, I'm sure.

Tex

[Pusser]

Tex, Pretty lucid I thought

Pusser

[Sunny]

Thanks everyone I'm off to buy the wood tomorrow

[Wongo]

That’s great sunny. End grain boards are a lot harder to make but they are much more beautiful. And you don’t get those nasty marks from the knife either.


Lets us know how you go.

[Frank&Earnest]

Tex's method is clear and simple and implies that all the pieces are joined side by side, like a chessboard. Is the structural advantage of staggering the pieces like a brick wall worth the added complexity? It should be only one extra cut to cut the last "brick" of each row in half, am I right?

[Skew ChiDAMN!!]

What structural advantage? With a good glue job, the joints are typically stronger than the grain anyway...


I've always been a fan of the butcher's block style of construction - using a frame around the outside with endless thread rods running horizontally for added reinforcement. (But this is a bit like saying I prefer an old brick BBQ to a frypan. )

[Wongo]

Tex's method is the correct method to do it. It is the only way to make an end grain chopping board and leave no gaps between blocks.

It has nothing to do with structural advantage.

[jaspr]

I like the effect of staggering them. I do it like Tex B says but then I stagger them before doing the second glue step. then I trim the offset sides using a crosscut sled. You waste a little bit of wood, but it looks good, IMO.

I've used both Titebond II and polyurethane (if you use the latter, just make sure it is clamped very firmly to resist the foaming action of the glue - or the joints will open up).

Good luck

[Frank&Earnest]

OK, I take it that staggering is only for aesthethic rather than structural reasons, then. (Only for cross grain, though.) About anything ever being "the only way", well...

[masher]

Tex's method is clear and simple and implies that all the pieces are joined side by side, like a chessboard. Is the structural advantage of staggering the pieces like a brick wall worth the added complexity? It should be only one extra cut to cut the last "brick" of each row in half, am I right?

You stagger bricks because the mortar/brick joint is weaker than the brick itself. The idea being that any crack going up through either brick or mortar will eventually hit mortar or brick and stop.

In woodwork, the glue/wood joint is actually stronger than the wood itself, so you don't need to stagger for structural purposes.

[Frank&Earnest]

In woodwork, the glue/wood joint is actually stronger than the wood itself, so you don't need to stagger for structural purposes.

Masher, you are a bit late... and not completely correct. Look at Skew's answer, he's right.